Katuna Border
Katuna Border is located between Rwanda and Uganda. In the Kinyarwanda local language is called Gatuna. It is located on the Uganda border with Rwanda, in the southwestern part of Uganda. The town is located in the Kamuganguzi sub-region, in Ndorwa County. Katuna is approximately 30 kilometers by road, south of Kabale, which is the largest city in the sub-region.
The border is the main entrance to Rwanda from Uganda, and it’s the main route that imports and exports between Rwanda and Uganda. Most of the goods for Rwanda from Kenya port of Mombasa go through Katuna border. Katuna is growing at a high rate because of the increased commercial and tour traffic, and it has made the town grow at a high rate since the area is open for 24 hours per day.
Katuna border is a very important town it has existed from way back. It was named after the Bakiga who wanted to cross over but they found a big lake which they named Lake Bunyonyi. It was surrounded by a number of bird species. Later on, they discovered a shorter router to where they gathered, prayed, and rested, in this place is where they named the Border Gatuna meaning meeting place. Some of the Rwandese who had immigrated with their relatives lost their way and went towards Rubaya.
In 1926 Katuna was located in Belgian Rwanda and this was the exit route for all political deserters who settled in Uganda. Katuna, after some time, became part of British Uganda after demarcation of the Uganda-Rwanda border in 1926 and this was in an agreement between the British and Belgian governance.
The area around Katuna for growing wheat is called Rubaya Subcounty, and 70% of the people traced their ancestry in Rwanda. The ancestry believes to have migrated from the parts of Byumba, Mirundi, Ruhengyere, and Mukaniga, other people trace their marriage between the Rwandan women who married Ugandans.
Most of the people steering the development of the area in Uganda work for the international organizations have always traced their ancestry homes in the area of Katuna, this is because the area has high filled entrepreneur people of which most work in the private sector.
Katuna border is very famous for its fertile land which is used for rearing cattle and growing Irish potatoes. This is all because of its strategic location at the border with Rwanda, there is high potential growth of the border town in Uganda, which will be like Busia and Malaba.
Katuna border has a rugged terrain and the other side of the road is very steep with rocky mountains which makes the construction of houses very difficult and more costly.
The other side of the road of Katuna Border is a very marshy and swampy valley, so it will need to first fill the area with rocks and soil to be able to construct there. This as well makes the building in the area quite expensive, and Katuna is a very compact area.
The border is 30 kilometers northwards to Kabale University in Kabale town where a number of students from Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo and other Ugandan Students.
The university has won a World Bank grant and this was for its promotion of information technology. There more than 1,400 students in the University and the number is still growing. Most students at Kabale University have studied at the neighboring schools of Katuna Border including St Barnabas Senior secondary school, Rubaya secondary school, Rukore High school, the University currently offers both undergraduate and Post-Graduate programs.
The neighboring areas of the border have tourist hubs, and the hilly terrain is called the Switzerland of Africa.
There are terraced hills with a wide variety of food crops, forest cover, Lake Bunyonyi which is found in the area of 20 Kilometers in the northwest part of Katuna.
Katuna border is followed by Murram road which passes via Kakoma to Rubaya. There are various Mountains around Katuna and these are all favorable for Mountain Climbing.
Katuna border is also an area where one can access Mt.Muhavura volcanic which is close to Lake Bunyonyi. Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and the Mgahinga Gorilla National park can also be accessed through the Katuna route from Rwanda.
There are lodges and hotels in the area of Gatuna, where one can relax and drink and local dishes. There is also a police station which is within the town of Katuna. There are forex transactions that are conducted by money changers/Forex Bureaus with currencies that include Uganda shillings, US Dollars, Rwanda Francs, British Pounds and many others.
Plan your safari to Uganda or Rwanda and be able to experience the time in Katuna and this is best done on the Uganda Gorilla Trekking from Kigali Safari.
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